This project examined the characteristics of sexual assault victimizations in Alaska, as observed and recorded by sexual assault nurse examiners in Anchorage, Kodiak, Bethel, Soldotna, Nome, Fairbanks, Homer, and Kotzebue. The sample utilized for this study included all sexual assault nurse examinations conducted in Anchorage from 1996 to 2004, in Bethel and Fairbanks in 2005 and 2006, and in Homer, Kodiak, Kotzebue, Nome, and Soldotna in 2005. A total of 1,699 examinations were collected. More ... (more info)

This project examined the characteristics of sexual assault victimizations in Alaska, as observed and recorded by sexual assault nurse examiners in Anchorage, Kodiak, Bethel, Soldotna, Nome, Fairbanks, Homer, and Kotzebue. The sample utilized for this study included all sexual assault nurse examinations conducted in Anchorage from 1996 to 2004, in Bethel and Fairbanks in 2005 and 2006, and in Homer, Kodiak, Kotzebue, Nome, and Soldotna in 2005. A total of 1,699 examinations were collected. More specifically, the information contains demographic characteristics of patients, pre-assault patient characteristics, assault characteristics, post assault characteristics, exam characteristics and findings, and suspect characteristics. Demographic characteristics of patients include gender, race / ethnicity, and age, whether the patient was disabled, and whether the patient reported being homeless. Pre-assault characteristics included whether the patient reported engaging in consensual sexual activity within three days prior to the assault and information on the location of the initial contact with the suspect. Assault characteristics included information on the location of the assault, methods employed by the suspect, the patients' condition at the time of the assault, the patients' use of drugs and alcohol, and a detailed description of the assault itself. This detailed description included the patient's position during the assault, whether condoms and lubricants had been used, whether ejaculation had occurred, and an inventory of 17 different sexual acts. Post-assault characteristics included information on post-assault actions taken by the patient, whether the patient engaged in consensual sexual activity between the time of the assault to the examination, and the time elapsed from the assault to the examination. Exam characteristics and findings included information on whether the exam was completed, the type of exam that was conducted, the patients' behavioral and emotional state during the exam, whether the patient required emergency medical care, whether the presence of sperm was documented, whether patients tested positive for sexually transmitted infections or other genital infections, whether the patient was pregnant, and whether injuries were documented. Injury characteristics included descriptions of both non-genital and genital injury. A total of 108 indicators of non-genital injury were captured. These included nine possible injuries (i.e., bruising, redness, abrasions, lacerations, swelling, fractures, bite marks, pain, and other) to 12 possible sites (i.e., head/face, mouth, neck, shoulders, arms, hands, chest, abdomen, back, buttocks/hips, legs, and feet). A total of 60 indicators of genital injury were also captured. These included four possible injuries (i.e., bruising, abrasions, lacerations, and tenderness) to 15 possible sites (i.e., mons pubis, labia majora, labia minora, labia majora / minora junction, clitoral hood, clitoris, periurethra, hymen, fossa navicularis, posterior fourchette, perineum, vaginal walls, cervix, anus, and rectum). Suspect characteristics included the number of suspects, whether the identity of the suspect was known, demographic characteristics (gender, race/ethnicity, and age), whether the suspect had used alcohol or drugs, and the relationship between the patient and the suspect. In addition to providing detailed information from sexual assault nurse examinations, the data also include three indicators of legal resolutions - whether cases were referred for prosecution, whether cases were accepted for prosecution, and whether cases resulted in a conviction. Data on legal resolutions are only available for 1,229 cases examined from 1999 to 2005.

Access to these data is restricted. Users interested in obtaining these data must complete a Restricted Data Use Agreement, specify the reasons for the request, and obtain IRB approval or notice of exemption for their research.

Methodology

Data from sexual assault nurse examinations were collected for three primary reasons.

To present information about the characteristics of sexual assaults, as observed and recorded by Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners.

To examine the effect of patient condition at the time of the assault on genital injury and the effect of time elapsed from assault to report on genital injury.

To examine the effect of genital injury on legal resolutions.

Data were collected from medical / forensic evaluations of sexual assault victims to provide additional information on sexual assault victimizations and to better understand the effects of patient condition at the time of the assault and of time elapsed from assault to report. In particular, this project was designed to better understand the effects of patient condition at the time of the assault and time elapsed from assault to report on the presence and frequency of genital injury. In addition, this project was designed to better understand how the presence and frequency of genital injury would impact three key legal resolutions. These three key legal resolutions are whether cases were referred for prosecution, whether cases were accepted for prosecution, and whether cases resulted in a conviction.

Study Design:
The study examined the characteristics of sexual assault victimization in Alaska, as observed and recorded by sexual assault nurse examiners. All examinations conducted in Anchorage from 1996 to 2004, in Bethel and Fairbanks in 2005 and 2006, and in Homer, Kodiak, Kotzebue, Nome, and Soldotna in 2005 were included in the sample. Information was collected on 1,699 medical / forensic examinations of sexual assault victims to describe sexual assault characteristics. More specifically, the information contains demographic characteristics of patients, pre-assault characteristics, assault characteristics, post-assault characteristics, exam characteristics and findings, and suspect characteristics. Prosecutorial outcome data were gathered directly from the Alaska Department of Law for 1,229 of the original 1,699 cases. Specifically, legal resolutions data were collected on whether cases were referred for prosecution, whether cases were accepted for prosecution, and whether cases resulted in a conviction.

Sample:

These data include all SANE examinations conducted in Anchorage from 1996 to 2004, in Bethel and Fairbanks in 2005 and 2006, and in Homer, Kodiak, Kotzebue, Nome, and Soldotna in 2005. A total of 1,699 examinations were collected, with the majority (81 percent) coming from Anchorage. Bethel and Fairbanks (who participated for two years) contributed 105 and 144 cases, respectively. Together, the other sites (who participated for one year) contributed 4 percent of the total cases. The majority of cases (86 percent) were referred to the sexual assault nurse examiner from local police departments (such as those in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Bethel, Homer, Kenai, Kodiak, Kotzebue, Nome, Saint Mary's, Seward, Soldotna, and Togiak). In addition, 12 percent of the cases were referred from state law enforcement agencies (e.g., Alaska State Troopers) and 2 percent were referred from federal law enforcement agencies (e.g., military). No examinations were intentionally excluded. Six examinations were excluded because patients requested that their record be sealed.

In addition prosecutorial outcome data were gathered directly from the Alaska Department of Law. These data were gathered only for a sub-sample of the 1,699 medical / forensic examinations. More specifically, searches through the Alaska Department of Law records excluded 1,229 cases of patients examined prior to 1999, cases of patients examined in 2006, cases referred from the military, and cases with unknown law enforcement case numbers. The primary restrictions were that cases prior to 1999 were excluded (because outcome data were not available in electronic form) and cases in 2006 were also excluded (because outcome data were not yet available at the time of data collection). The remaining cases were tracked by case number to determine if they had been referred by police to the Alaska Department of Law for prosecution, if the Alaska Department of Law had accepted the cases for prosecution, and if the cases resulted in a conviction.

Time Method:
Cross-sectional

Weight:
None.

Mode of Data Collection:
record abstracts

Data Source:

Archived sexual assault nurse examination records for examinations conducted in Anchorage from 1996 to 2004, in Bethel and Fairbanks in 2005 and 2006, and in Homer, Kodiak, Kotzebue, Nome, and Soldotna in 2005.

Archived prosecution records from the Alaska Department of Law from 1999 to 2005.

Description of Variables:
The study contains 453 variables including demographic characteristics of patients, pre-assault characteristics, assault characteristics, post assault characteristics, exam characteristics and findings, and suspect characteristics. Demographic characteristics of patients included gender, race / ethnicity, and age, whether the patient was disabled, and whether the patient reported being homeless. Pre-assault characteristics included whether the patient reported engaging in consensual sexual activity within three days prior to the assault and information on the location of the initial contact with the suspect. Assault characteristics included information on the location of the assault, methods employed by the suspect, the patients' condition at the time of the assault, the patients' use of drugs and alcohol, and a detailed description of the assault itself. This detailed description included the patient's position during the assault, whether condoms and lubricants had been used, whether ejaculation had occurred, and an inventory of 17 different sexual acts. Post-assault characteristics included information on post-assault actions taken by the patient, whether the patient engaged in consensual sexual activity between the time of the assault to the examination, and the time elapsed from the assault to the examination. Exam characteristics and findings included information on whether the exam was completed, the type of exam that was conducted, the patients' behavioral and emotional state during the exam, whether the patient required emergency medical care, whether the presence of sperm was documented, whether patients tested positive for sexually transmitted infections or other genital infections, whether the patient was pregnant, and whether injuries were documented. Injury characteristics included descriptions of both non-genital and genital injury. A total of 108 indicators of non-genital injury were captured. These included nine possible injuries (i.e., bruising, redness, abrasions, lacerations, swelling, fractures, bite marks, pain, and other) to 12 possible sites (i.e., head/face, mouth, neck, shoulders, arms, hands, chest, abdomen, back, buttocks/hips, legs, and feet). A total of 60 indicators of genital injury were also captured. These included four possible injuries (i.e., bruising, abrasions, lacerations, and tenderness) to 15 possible sites (i.e., mons pubis, labia majora, labia minora, labia majora / minora junction, clitoral hood, clitoris, periurethra, hymen, fossa navicularis, posterior fourchette, perineum, vaginal walls, cervix, anus, and rectum). Suspect characteristics included the number of suspects, whether the identity of the suspect was known, demographic characteristics (gender, race/ethnicity, and age), whether the suspect had used alcohol or drugs, and the relationship between the patient and the suspect. In addition to providing detailed information from sexual assault nurse examinations, the data also include three indicators of legal resolutions - whether cases were referred for prosecution, whether cases were accepted for prosecution, and whether cases resulted in a conviction. Data on legal resolutions are only available for 1,229 cases examined from 1999 to 2005. Legal resolutions were examined using three dichotomous measures indicating whether a case was referred for prosecution, whether a case was accepted for prosecution, and whether a case resulted in a conviction.

Response Rates:
Not applicable.

Presence of Common Scales:
None.

Extent of Processing: ICPSR data undergo a confidentiality review and are altered when necessary to limit the risk of
disclosure. ICPSR also routinely creates ready-to-go data files along with setups in the major
statistical software formats as well as standard codebooks to accompany the data. In addition to
these procedures, ICPSR performed the following processing steps for this data collection: